嗅 — “Smell / Sniff / Scent” in Japanese

Master (高手)きゅう, か

Radical ⼝ · radical 30 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Smell / Sniff / Scent” in Japanese is 嗅, read kyuu, ka (きゅう, か). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 嗅覚 (sense of smell).

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What does 嗅 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	嗅
Meaning	Smell / Sniff / Scent
Readings	きゅう, か
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	嗅覚 (sense of smell)

How to read 嗅

嗅 is read kyuu (きゅう) or ka (か) depending on the word.

Words with 嗅

嗅覚

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Kanji read the same way as 嗅

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28